Many businesses, tradesmen, and public service units employ trucks that feature a plurality of storage compartments that are accessible from outside of the vehicle. These typically side-located compartments provide enclosed storage space for tools, spare parts, and other needed equipment. The doors that provide access to the compartments are normally attached to the body by hinges that allow their associated door to swing either to the side or in an upwards or downwards direction. A compartment door will usually also include a lockable latch mechanism that allows the door to be locked or otherwise secured when access to the compartment is not required.
There are a number of problems with the compartmented utility fixtures that are in common use. First, the compartments are often too small to enable storage of long and/or wide items such as eight foot lengths of wood or pipe or a five-foot by eight-foot sheet of plywood. This forces the vehicle operator to place such items on racks located atop or on the sides of the vehicle. In these locations, the items may be stolen when the vehicle is parked or become dislodged during transit.
A second problem with prior art compartmented truck fixtures is that the outwardly swinging doors obstruct access to nearby compartments and severely restrict clearance around the sides of the vehicle. In addition, a compartment door that swings upwardly and has one end secured to the top of the fixture may not provide sufficient clearance for tall individuals.
A third problem is that the design of the compartments usually does not provide a user with easy accessibility to the interior of the compartments. For example, when a utility fixture body has side compartments that extend up to the top of the body, a user often cannot reach and/or see items that are located near the top of the compartment. As a result, upper areas of a tall compartment may not be utilized to the maximum extent possible.